TRUE COLOURS
FQ talks to Kowtow founder and creative director Gosia Piatek about her brand’s collaboration with City Gallery Wellington Te Whare Toi and its upcoming exhibition, Hilma af Klint:
The Secret Paintings.
Q: When did you first come upon the work of Hilma af Klint? A: It was a timely discovery. I was living in London and quite lonely in a big city with a small child. I was on the tube one day and saw a teeny-tiny poster for a Hilma af Klint exhibition at the Serpentine Gallery, in London. What grabbed my attention in that initial poster was the colour palette — feminine tones of lemon, blush and light blue composed together with beautiful organic lines. I took a quick snap on my phone of the poster and the next day took my toddler son in his pram down to the exhibit inside Kensington
Gardens.
Q: Hilma af Klint saw herself as a receiver of messages from the spirit realm, and that’s what guided her work. How do you find inspiration? A: My inspiration comes from everything — art, architecture, nature, diversity and people. Mostly my inspiration is driven by the climate crisis and finding a solution for the fashion industry. Our line of work is political — we use clothing as an expression towards a vision of something healthier. It comes with tension, learning, hurdles and growth and it is the thing the inspires me the most, the creative thinking we do at Kowtow, the conversations and solutions we come up with as a team of change makers. We are working with a basic human need, finding a solution that can be gentle on everyone and everything feels like an inspiring contribution.
Q: Which of af Klint’s artwork or philosophies informed Kowtow’s pieces?
A: We took inspiration from her most iconic The
Ten Largest series. The colours in this series are very distinct to her, and we wanted to celebrate that. The ‘Palette’ tee, ‘Palette’ tote and ‘Gallery’ tote illustrate the colour palette from No. 2, Childhood. The idea that the palette encapsulates the feeling of the painting proves the power of colour.
Q: This visionary called on both the spiritual and scientific realms to help her make sense of the world — how do you think that reflects the state of the world today?
A: I think people seek out inspiration in many forms to make sense of the world. I make sense of Kowtow through my connection with nature. The more I connect to nature, the better decisions I can make for my work. My aim is to learn through connection, so that our product is gentle and kind.
Read the full Q&A online at FQ.co.nz, and catch the exhibition at City Gallery Wellington from December 4 to March 27.